Notices by Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io), page 3

Ugh. Cutting square holes with a hack saw isn't as easy as it seems 😰

I guess that's the original meaning of the term "hacking":
http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/H/hacker.html

#retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

I could just cut an opening right over the RJ45 connector. So I took some measurements and marked the area to cut off in orange.

Luckily, there is already a hole in the frame from which I can start cutting around with a hack saw.

How hard could it possibly be?

#vintagecomputing #retrocomputing #diy

To complete my #Amiga 3000 restoration, I still need to solve a small mechanical issue: there is barely enough clearance under the drive bay for a Z3660 with a Z-Turn board on top.

My Z3660 card is also slightly tilted upwards when plugged into the CPU slot, and the RJ45 connector of the Z-Turn contacrs the bottom of the frame, putting stress on the connector.

@amca I kinda expected a Rick Roll, but this is almost worse 😂

@davet I wrapped the tank in aluminium foil, but the plastic walls will filter some of the UV.

I wasn't sure how aluminium foil would react with peroxide. Some metals will rapidly oxidize, releasing enough heat to melt some plastics: containers:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5i3guKmuBUI

Reloading the #retrobrighting reactor core for another 24h run.

The "control bars" keep the parts from floating around, but borosilicate glass absorbs UV, which might result in uneven results.

#amiga #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

@amca Amiga Love ❤️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyfxuIjdjfE

It's time to prepare the #Amiga 3000 front panel and the shell of the "pregnant" mouse for #retrobrighting.

As before, soak the parts in warm water and dish soap for 15 minutes, then rinse in the shower.

#retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

@jope Ah! Forgot that I had one of these A2000 video slot adapters in the box of lose parts.

It's been there since the beginning of this restoration project, and now I know its real purpose.

#commodore #amiga #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

@Aminorjourney No, it was just left there by someone else. Looks like a failed print 😂

I noticed now for the first time that the top Zorro slot of the #Amiga 3000 is slightly wider than the other three. This is also the position of the A2000-compatible video expansion slot; perhaps the extra clearance was needed to accommodate preexisting cards? 🤔

#commodore #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

Everything fits together, but I couldn't find suitable self-tapping screws to attach the HDMI pass-through.

Aside for the color, I'd say it's a passable surrogate for a proper metal bracket. 👍

#amiga #vintagecomputing #retrocomputing

But I digress. I went to the Artisans Asylum with this rough #FreeCAD design to print it with one of the three Prusa MK3 available in the Digifab shop.

A couple of nice people helped me setup various slicer parameters and the printer itself.

A 0.10 mm fine print with common PLA filament takes about 40 minutes, and I had to iterate a couple of times to adjust the position of the screws, add scaffolding for the mounting screw hole on top, etc.

#3dprint #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

Rising the level to cover the keyboard without diluting the peroxide wasn't hard after all. Thanks to @RegGuy for suggesting this. 💡

While I was at it, I also poured hot water into the jars to speedup the reaction a little.

#retrobrighting #vintagecomputing #chemistry

@RegGuy Good idea! I'll look for suitable items...

@metnix @patrick This more recent tutorial specifically covers the current version of #FreeCAD, but I'm still not done watching it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E14m5hf6Pvo

@metnix @patrick This was a good one to learn about object construction: draw a 2D sketch, add constraints, then extrude:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh5aN_Di8J0

I exposed the reactor core once again to rearrange the parts.

Now the front part is face down, fully covered by peroxide but not lit by UV. Will it still get brighter this way?

The bottom part is still half covered, and will need to be flipped every few hours.

I could just add tap water to rise the level, but it would also dilute the solution, and I still want to #retrobright the #Amiga 3000
front panel and the mouse later.

#retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #chemistry

Oh no! My box is too narrow to dip both halves of the keyboard shell side by side, and the peroxide level is too low to cover them together.

I can't leave it like this if I want a uniform #retrobrighting result...

#amiga #vintagecomputing #retrocomputing

After 48h of dry #retrobrighting at room temperature, my #Amiga 3000 keyboard was still yellowish, though a paler shade than before.

The space bar has an uneven gradient of yellow, suggesting that this air-gapped process doesn't guarantee uniform results.